Coucourou Runout
Maga Day
Coucourou might have just been relegated from the Benin Premier League, but the former Consolante Cup winners definitely had enough in the tank, to mince the visiting Birds at their Coloséo Coucourou. Led by ex-French international midfielder Fateh Mazouzi, the hosts held very little back in front of their most intense supporters, and Grilled's decision to rotate their frontline left them without the necessary weaponry to unlock the opposing defence.
There appeared to be a bit of a mix-up with the submitted teamsheets, however, and with Thai referee Praves Charoen a stickler for the rules, Coucourou head coach Takafumi Makihara would have to spend two substitutions to get the lineup he had intended, with Turgay Kayran and Bruno Liske involved. Grilled Birds were soon outhustled, but they did claim the first clear chance of the day, with
Cyril Künzler racing onto a bouncing pass, and delivering it onto Giorgio Bertaso's crossbar.
That was mostly it for Grilled's ambitions in the first half, as Coucourou tightened the screws with their at-times hypnotic passing exchanges.
Chan Ze Han was suitably industrious as skipper today, but his efforts were far from enough, moreover with
Heng Dong Chu and
Moey Xin Seng not taking too well to their experimental roles. Native forward Wofa Amouzou found
Yuta Nakakita little enough obstacle, as he left the defender with twisted blood before scoring in the 21st.
The Birds went into damage limitation mode soon enough, as Amouzou and fellows bore down on their vulnerable centrebacks. Yuta was mercilessly targeted as the weaker link, and Norwegian playmaker Yngvar Nordtømme might have done much better after passing him on the outside, only to overrun it. The Grilled players though that the danger had passed, but a terrible goal-kick played short to nobody in particular saw Adejola Edaye Kocou nip in for 2-0.
Grilled further had to fend off further attempts from Nordtømme and Turgay Kayran before the break, but the duo wouldn't worry
Massoud Dob with their long shots, when they came.
Dante Tran came on for
Mohd Jafni Abdul Majid in the second half and nearly created a miracle of sorts, but his fearless thunderbolt came off the underside of the bar, to be cleared by Mirel Frăsineanu.
They couldn't catch a break either, as the ball fell kindly for the hosts' Bruno Liske, who had gotten the drop on Moey down his flank. There were comrades aplenty racing into position, and Liske only had to get it to centreforward Abazu Maga, who demonstrated the deadliness that had won him three U-20 caps by drilling it stone-cold between Dob's legs and in.
Actually, his mistake for the second goal aside,
Massoud Dob had actually been on top of his game, and he would be Grilled's busiest player by far. He would have nearly half a dozen good stops to make before the end, the best of which was probably a double save in the 62nd minute - first from Nordtømme, and then throwing himself bravely at Amouzou's follow-up.
